Child among the victims

Five migrants drowned in the English Channel at night

Every year, tens of thousands of people try to cross the English Channel from France to the UK in small boats.

(Bild: AFP)

At least five migrants died in the English Channel during an attempted crossing to the UK on Tuesday night. One of the fatalities is a child. The number of migrants who have drowned in the English Channel this year has already reached last year's total.

According to official figures, twelve people lost their lives in 2023. In January of this year, five migrants, including a 14-year-old Syrian, drowned when they tried in vain to reach a boat that was already in the water. The water temperature was nine degrees. In February, a 22-year-old Turkish man died after falling off a boat and two other migrants are missing.

Most recently, in March, a seven-year-old drowned after falling into a canal that flows into the English Channel. The boat was overcrowded with 15 people and capsized. An Eritrean was arrested in connection with this on Saturday.

Tens of thousands attempt the crossing
Every year, tens of thousands of people attempt to cross the English Channel from France to the UK in small boats. According to the British government, the number of illegal crossings fell by a third last year to just under 30,000, after peaking at around 45,000 in 2022.

Conservative British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had repeatedly promised to "stop" the refugee boats. It was only in February that the UK and the EU border protection agency Frontex signed an agreement to improve cooperation in the fight against illegal immigration. It includes the exchange of information to break up smuggling gangs and the joint use of drones to monitor borders.

Asylum pact with Rwanda
On Tuesday night, a controversial plan by the British government to deport migrants to Rwanda also passed through parliament in London. According to the plan, refugees who have entered the country irregularly - regardless of where they come from - will be able to be deported to Rwanda, with the East African country being classified as a safe third country. The opposition and human rights activists have sharply criticized the plan. The project has been described as one of the most important measures in the fight against illegal immigration.